Monday Music: Running Up That Hill, Kate Bush with David Gilmour

When explaining the meaning of the song, Kate Bush has said:

“I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman, can’t understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each other’s roles, if we could actually be in each others place for a while, I think we’d both be very surprised! [Laughs] And I think it would be lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either… you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, ‘well, no, why not a deal with God!’ You know, because in a way it’s so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me it is still called “Deal With God”, that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it wouldn’t be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn’t play it, France wouldn’t play it, and Australia wouldn’t play it! Ireland wouldn’t play it, and that generally we might get it blacked purely because it had ‘God’ in the title.”

Of note:

  • The band Coldplay claims the drum beat of this song inspired their single “Speed of Sound.”
  • A cover by the band Placebo was used in the TV show Bones second season episode Judas on a Pole.
  • The background vocal chants (“e-yo”) are very similar to classical Japanese musical theatre Noh, and the drumming pattern may be influenced by Japanese taiko. The rhythm is also very similar to Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 “Big Love” single, which also explores sexual politics in its lyrics.